


Heartbreak to Hope

by GaeilgeRua



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Language, Post-Hogwarts, Rare Pairings, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22659034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaeilgeRua/pseuds/GaeilgeRua
Summary: Everyone has two names tattooed on their wrists; one is your soulmate and the other an enemy. It's up to each person to figure out who is who. Unfortunately for Hermione, she learns the hard way when she assumes to know the answer.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Adrian Pucey, Hermione Granger/Adrian Pucey
Comments: 25
Kudos: 104
Collections: Hermione's Haven Bingo 2020, Hermione's Nook RarePair Soulmate Fest





	Heartbreak to Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Hermione's Nook's RarePair Soulmate Fest and Hermione's Haven 2020 Bingo.
> 
> HN Trope/Prompt: Names on both wrist, one your soulmate, the other an enemy, can’t tell which one is which  
> HH Bingo square B1: Adrian Pucey
> 
> Many thanks to xxDustNight88 for Alpha/betaing this for me. Any errors after she read it over are my own.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone recognisable from the HP world. I am not making any money off of this.

Hermione stared down at her wrists, pain and sadness piercing her heart. She couldn't believe how wrong she had been. Anthony's words from their conversation from just moments ago still echoed in her ears.

_"Why in Merlin's name would you think I'd want to be with you, Granger?"_

_She stared at him in shock for a few moments before she finally found her voice, "I thought–"_

_"You thought what? That I was your soulmate?" He snorted. "Well, you definitely thought wrong, because there is no way you're my soulmate as we are about as close to complete opposites as you can get. Plus, I've known since the moment the names appeared on my wrists who my soulmate was, and it was not you."_

_Her eyes dropped to the name on her left wrist. "But how can it be a Slytherin?"_

_"Maybe because you would have done well in that house if you weren't a…" He hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Muggleborn. You've shown on more than one occasion how cunning and ambitious you can be. Plus, you have determination like no one else I know." Hermione started to smile, but it fell at his next words. "Determination to prove that you're always right."_

_"If that's the case, then why didn't say something months ago when I first made my intentions known?"_

_Raising an eyebrow, Anthony smirked. "Why say something when I've had the pleasure of seeing you make an arse of yourself for nearly a year?"_

_A new voice joined them, "You mean like you're making an arse of yourself now, Goldstein?"_

_"Oh, look, Granger. It's your soulmate here to rescue you." He gestured between Hermione and the newcomer. "She's all yours, Pucey, because I want nothing to do with her."_

_"Then get lost," Hermione told him as she straightened her shoulders and jutted her chin out, showing just why she was a Gryffindor. "I don't need rescuing from the likes of you, and you can take your attitude and shove it."_

_He started to say something, but Hermione baring her teeth made him think better of it, and he turned and made his way down the hallway._

_It wasn't until he was out of sight that Hermione felt her bravado wavering, and she sagged against the wall. Closing her eyes, she clenched her fists to try and stop her hands from shaking._

_"Granger," a voice called out to her._

_Hermione ignored the voice._

_She heard it again, but it was much closer and what it said surprised her, "Hermione."_

"Hermione?" Adrian's voice finally broke through the words of her coworker. "Are you okay?"

Shaking her head, Hermione looked up from her wrists. She opened her mouth to quickly say that she was fine, but the look of genuine concern on the face of the wizard standing before her caused her to hesitate. Taking a deep breath, she finally said, "No, I'm not, but," she let out her breath in a whoosh, "I will be."

He held out a hand to her. "Come on. You deserve to take the rest of the day off."

Hermione bit her lower lip as she stared at his hand and contemplated what he said. She wasn't wholly convinced that she needed to take the rest of the day off, but there was a lot she and Adrian needed to discuss and what better time than now to start. Making up her mind, Hermione reached out and grasped his hand.

He pulled her away from the wall.

"Let me tell my boss that I'm leaving for the rest of the day," Hermione said before she pulled out her wand and quickly sent off a message. She also called for her belongings. Once she had her purse and cloak in hand, she nodded towards Adrian. "I'm ready."

Grasping her hand again, Adrian led her down the corridor towards the lifts and added, "If I'm honest, you could do so much more with your life than being holed up in the bowels of the Ministry."

"And what would I do?" She raised an eyebrow. "I've been here since I graduated and unfortunately, I don't have the available funds to quit and take up an apprenticeship."

Adrian pressed the button to call the lift with his free hand as he was still holding hers. "Who said anything about you taking up an apprenticeship? There are many places you could work without going through all of that."

The lift dinged. Adrian finally released her hand before placing it against the small of her back.

"And who would take on a Muggleborn witch?" Hermione asked just before the door to the lift opened.

"I know places," Adrian said cryptically as they stepped onto the lift.

Hermione snickered but remained quiet until they stepped out into the Atrium the floor above the Department of Mysteries. Again Hermione found the small of her back warmed by the heat of Adrian's hand. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. _'Maybe finding out that Anthony wasn't my soulmate was a good thing,'_ Hermione mused to herself.

"I also know a place we can go have an early dinner and talk," Adrian offered.

Not even hesitating this time, Hermione slipped her cloak over her shoulders. "Where to?"

"There's a little Thai place not too far from where I share a flat with Marcus that we love to go to. How's that?"

Hermione grinned. "Sold."

* * *

"You obviously know when I learned the truth of who was who for me, but when did you realise that I was your soulmate?" Hermione asked as she looked at him over the top of her menu.

"When both names appeared I wasn't sure because I had two Gryffindors, but it didn't take me long to realise that you were my soulmate," Adrian replied. He gave her a wry grin before shaking his head. "I knew that there was no way that Lavender Brown could ever be my soulmate."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Dear Merlin."

"My thoughts exactly," Adrian chuckled.

"Why didn't you say anything to me sooner?" Hermione questioned as she closed her menu and placed it on the table in front of her.

Adrian gave her a pointed look. "Would you have believed me?"

Her cheeks darkened at his words. "Touché."

"I knew until you learned the truth about whoever else was on your wrist, that I didn't stand a chance." He reached out and grabbed her hand. "And that doesn't make you a horrible person, so don't even think that it's just that old habits die hard."

Hermione gave him a half-smile when he squeezed her hand. "That they do."

"If it makes you feel better, it took me some time to come to the realisation of who you were to me too. But then I realised that I didn't know anything about you, other than what I saw in that rag, and I couldn't make any judgements until I did get to know you."

"I don't feel quite so bad now," she admitted.

"Good. Now, let's do just that. Get to know one another, and we'll see where things go because as you know, our soulmate connection might be one of friendship or might be more. We don't know which until we spend time together. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"Plus, we can always use another friend in our lives."


End file.
